(A) Meters required.
(1) Except for extinguishing fires, no person other than an authorized city employee shall use water from the city water supply system or permit water to be drawn unless the water passes through a meter supplied or approved by the city.
(2) No person not authorized by the Public Works Superintendent shall connect, disconnect, take apart or in any manner change or interfere with any meter or its use.
(B) Installation cost. Five-eighths-inch meters shall be installed by plumbers at customer’s expense at cost plus 10%; meters larger than 5/8-inch shall be billed to the customer at cost plus 10%. Each property owner shall additionally pay a connection fee per installed meter as stated in § 50.05 below.
(C) Maintenance.
(1) The city shall maintain and repair at its expense any meter that has become unserviceable through ordinary wear and tear and shall replace it if necessary.
(2) Where repair or replacement is made necessary by act or neglect of the owner or occupant of the premises it serves, the city expense shall be a charge against and collected from the consumer, and service may be discontinued until the cause is corrected and the amount charged is paid.
(D) Complaints; meter testing.
(1) When a customer complains that the bill for any past water service period is excessive, the customer may have the meter reread on request. If the customer remains dissatisfied, the customer may, upon written request and a deposit of at least $50, have the meter tested. If the meter is found to be accurate within 5% of the water consumed, the actual cost of the test will be charged to the customer, and the deposit shall be applied to this charge. If the meter is found not accurate, a new meter shall be installed and the bill shall be adjusted accordingly. An adjustment shall not extend back more than 1 billing period from the date of the written request.
(2) Upon written request and the deposit of at least $50 by a customer, the city shall test the electric meter serving the customer, but tests need not be made more than once in 12 months.
(a) The city will notify the customer in advance of the time and date of the test so the customer, or the customer's representative, may be present when the meter is tested. Unless the meter needs to be sent in to be tested.
(b) If the meter is found accurate within 2%, the actual cost of the meter test will be charged to the customer and the deposit shall be applied to this charge.
(c) If the meter is found not accurate within 2%, the city will pay for the test. The test results will be given or mailed to the customer within a reasonable time after completion.
(d) All billing adjustments based on meter testing results shall be in accordance with rates in effect at the time of the error. The adjustment shall not extend back more than 1 month from the date of the written request.
(E) Meters property of city. Meters shall be city property and may be removed or replaced as to size and type when deemed necessary.
(F) Meter reading and inspection. Authorized meter readers shall have free access at reasonable hours of the day to all parts of every building, structure or lot connected with the city utilities to read meters and make inspections.
(1987 Code, § 301.04) (Am. Ord. 550, passed 11-22-2011; Am. Ord. 639, passed 6-28-2022) Penalty, see § 10.99